In the News—Week of February 17 2021

Buc-ee’s convenience store to open its first location in Florida

Buc-ee’s will make its first foray into Florida, opening a 52,600-square-foot convenience store and filling station next week near Jacksonville, Florida, the Houston Chronicle reports. For those outside the Lone Star State, it may be difficult to understand what the fuss is about. It may be one of those things, you have to experience to truly understand. The store will have 104 fueling stations and, we assume, spacious clean restrooms, and offer Texas Beaver nuggets and Texas barbecue. Buc-ee’s was a Texas-only chain until 2019 when the company expanded into Alabama and Georgia.

Germany to spend 6 billion euros on making buildings more efficient

The German government has announced plans to spend up to $7.2 billion on programs to make buildings more energy-efficient, Reuters reports. The programs include support for insulation and more efficient heating. “The building sector is an important factor if we want to make the energy transition a success,” the country’s economy minister, Peter Altmaier, says.

Howard Hughes Corporation spruces up former Anadarko tower

The Hughes Corporation has a lot of space to fill and hopes that pickleball can help lure some tenants, the Houston Chronicle reports. The 31-story 9950 Woodloch Forest Tower, which served as headquarters for Anadarko, has been largely empty since the energy company was acquired by Occidental Petroleum. Hughes relocated its headquarters, but it would like to have more neighbors. New amenities will include pickleball, which is a form of tennis on a smaller court with paddles instead of racquets.